Royal MS 4 B XIV

'EXCERPTA domini Willelmi prioris Meritone cuius anima requiescat in sinu Abrahe' (title in a late 12th cent. hand at the top of f. 1) : theological miscellanies, collected by William, Prior of Merton, co. Surrey (d. 1177). With a table of contents (f. 2 b).

1. 'Excerptum super Ecclesiasten', beg. 'Celeth Hebraice, Ecclesiastes Grece'. f. 3.

2. 'Super Ecclesiasticum', beg. 'Qui timet Dominum, &c.: Qui scilicet amore Dei'. f. 5 b.

3. 'De libro Sapientie', beg. 'Diligite iusticiam, &c. Ac si diceret'. f. 15.

4. Sermon on Luke xi. 21, beg. 'Cumfortis armatus, &c.: Iste igitur fortis armatus '. f. 19.

5. Sermon on the plagues of Egypt, beg. 'Legitur in Exodo, fratres, quod Pharaone'. f. 19 b.

6. Miscellanea, without title (in table of contents described as ' quidam flosculi'), beg. 'Duo sunt altaria constituta'. f. 20b.

7. 'Augustinus de beata uita', beg. ' Is Deum habet qui facit quod Deus uult' (from§§ 21-24, Migne, xxxii.

970-97I). f. 22.

8. Miscellanea, without title, and not included in table of contents, beg. 'Elemosina, id est, Dei aqua'. f.22b.

9. 'De libro beati Augustini qui intitulatur De uera religione', beg. 'Fantasmata sunt de specie corporis' (cf Migne, xxxiv. 130). f. 24.

10. Extracts from the 'Hierarchia' of Dionysius

Areopagita, with occasional comments; beg. 'Ierarchia, sacer principatus'. f. 24 b.

11. 'De epigrammatibus Prosperi': extracts from the poems of Prosper Aquitanus (Migne, li. 498), beg. 'Non nostre hoc opis est'. Followed without break by theological extracts in prose. f. 31 b.

12. 'Super Ecclesiasten', beg. 'Tres sunt anime rationalis uisiones'. f. 32b.

13. 'De Aratore exceptio' : extracts, intermixed with prose, from the poem of Arator 'De Actibus Apostolorum' (Migne, lxviii. 81). beg. 'Non cessant elementa suo seruire tonanti'. f. 43.

14. 'De epistolis Hildeberti episcopi' (cf. Migne clxxi. 141), beg. 'Salutem, &c. In me mihi bene complacui'. f. 43 b.

15. ' De libro Prudentii ', beg. 'Ipsa sibi est hostis vesania' (Migne, lx. 36, &c.). f. 53 b.

16. 'De libro Sedulii', beg. 'Labruscam placidis quid adhuc preponitis uuis' (from the 'Carmen Paschale', Migne, xix. 553). f. 53 b.

17. Miscellanea, from various theological authors, some of whom are named. Included (f. 55 b) are a series of notes (devotional in character) on some of the holy places of Palestine, beg. ' In Bethleem primo panis uiuus '. f. 53 b.

18. 'Questiones et sententie', beg. 'Quid est quod aliquibus qui quasi dubitantes querebant'. f. 59.

19. 'Augustinus ad Paulum et Eutropium beg. ' Vi. tari potest peccatum'(cf. Migne, Xliv. 291). f. 66 b.

20. 'Augustinus ad Timasium et lacobum de gratia, beg. 'Nullus, inquit, mundus est a sorde' (cf. ib. 247). f. 69.

21. 'Augustinus in epistola ad Valentinum monacum', beg. 'Attendamus quid per Salomonem moneat' (Migne, xxxiii. 971). f. 70b.

22. 'Augustinus de gratia et libero arbitrio ad eundem', beg. ' Commemoro uos non humano eloquio,' (Migne, xliv. 881). f. 7I.

23. 'Augustinus de predestinacione sanctorum ad Prosperum et Hilarium', beg. 'Ipsum credere nichil aliud est' (ib. 959). f. 74 b.

24. 'Augustinus de bono (sic) perseuerancie'. beg. 'Asserimus donum Dei esse'(Migne, xlv. 993). f. 75 b.

25. 'Bernardus abbas Clareual[lensis]': extracts from S. Bernard 'De gratia et libero arbitrio' (Migne, clxxxii. 1001), beg. 'Gratia Dei sum id quod sum'. f. 77. . 26. 'Exceptiones florum': 'short theological notes, beg. 'Due sunt domus Dei'. f. 81.

27. ' Collectiones fragmentorum de mensa Mathei evangeliste': a commentary on S. Matthew, presumably by William of Merton himself, beg. 'Omnium evangelistarum communis intentio est'. Colophon (f.159),'Hec ut potui collegi fragmenta de pane beatissimi evangeliste Mathei; accedite, prandete, amici, sancte matris ecclesie filii'. f. 83. Vellum; ff. 159. 11 3/4 in.x7 7/8 in. Late XII cent. Double columns, with a change of hand at f. 83. Possibly one of the hands is that of William himself, since the collection is not likely to have been much copied. Gatherings of 8 leaves, numbered at the end, with catchwords. Sec. fol. '-endo euadere'. Initials in red, blue, and green. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 1082 cat. of 1666, f. 2 CMA. 7963,7964.